From a press release:

AMA Takes Motorcyclists’ Message on New Emissions Standards to the Environmental Protection Agency

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reiterated its concerns that new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions regulations could spell the end of two-stroke off-highway motorcycles during a visit to the EPA’s vehicle emissions testing facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on January 22.

The AMA delegation, led by Edward Moreland, vice president of AMA government relations, also discussed with federal officials proposed emissions standards for road motorcycles that are soon to be released.

The AMA delegation also included Director of State Affairs Sean Maher, and Legislative Affairs Specialists Royce Wood and Imre Szauter.

“We were encouraged by the open exchange that we had with the federal officials, and we look forward to providing the EPA with more insights into how riders would be affected by their proposals,” Moreland said. “We want the EPA to know that riders are watching these proposals very closely and are concerned.”

The EPA has proposed national emissions standards covering off-highway motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) only slightly less stringent than the requirements now in place in California, which severely limit the use of two-stroke motorcycles. Currently, there are no national emissions standards governing off-road motorcycles and ATVs.

Under the standards, which will be finalized by September 13, new off-highway motorcycles and ATVs would be subject to strict emissions requirements that would be phased-in beginning in 2006. Full compliance would be required by the manufacturers in 2007. Also, ATVs would be required to meet even tougher standards beginning in 2009.

The requirements wouldn’t affect machines built through 2005, but would apply to machines built in 2006 and thereafter. The EPA said it expects that manufacturers will meet these new, stringent off-highway standards by using four-stroke engines exclusively for trail machines. The EPA has proposed exemptions for off-road competition-only machines, which would mean that two-stroke motocross bikes would be unaffected.

The AMA delegation urged EPA officials to create separate emissions standards for four-stroke and two-stroke motorcycles and ATVs, considering safety, cost and performance. The delegation also argued that the federal government has significantly overestimated the amount of use of off-highway motorcycles and ATVs nationwide, resulting in projections that suggest those vehicles are responsible for more emissions than they actually are. And the Association suggested officials fine-tune the exemption for competition motorcycles so that enduro and other types of competition machines besides motocrossers are available to amateurs.

On the street side, the EPA has indicated that it will release proposed emissions standards for public comment within the next couple of months. A draft of the proposal obtained by the AMA indicates that the EPA wants to adopt a two-tier standard already approved in California on a delayed basis.

The first tier of California standards will go into effect in 2004, with the second tier scheduled for 2008. The federal EPA is proposing to adopt the same standards, but on a two-year delay, meaning tier one would take effect in 2006 and tier two in 2010.

Road motorcycles built before the 2006 model year would be unaffected by the new regulations and would remain legal to ride.

If adopted, the new federal emissions regulations are expected to result in increased use of fuel injection and catalytic converters on new motorcycles.

The draft proposal contains no new anti-tampering provisions.

The delegation also discussed catalytic converters and brought up cost and safety issues associated with their use on motorcycles.

The proposed regulations aren’t expected to differ from the draft obtained by the AMA. Important provisions contained in the proposal include an exemption that gives small manufacturers until the 2008 model year to meet the tier-one national emissions standard. Those manufacturers — with sales of fewer than 3000 bikes a year and having fewer than 500 employees — wouldn’t be required to meet the tougher tier-two standards.